The Grand Adventure
I read an article today targeted at the ecosystem of the automobile supply chain. At the heart of the article was the notion of examining a company’s products through the lens of the Product Portfolio Matrix, a concept created by Bruce Henderson for the Boston Consulting Group. This model helps companies visualize where their products […]
I was surprised to find out that open-source software goes back all the way to the 1950s and 1960s. I think most people think of Linux when they think of open-source. Linus Torvalds made a big splash when he released Linux in 1991, and in my opinion marks the modern day open-source movement. I was […]
I am amazed at what we are technically capable of given the last short decade of advancement. The iPhone was introduced in 2007 and created a whole new capability that has been widely copied by Android and to a lesser extent, Microsoft. Computing power was unleashed from the desktop and is now at anyone’s fingertips […]
I attended a local social session recently on the topic of Retail, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Mobility. IoT First, what the heck is the “Internet of Things”? It’s such a high level term, no doubt introduced as a buzzword to make what’s old new again. I think we need a new naming committee. […]
Am I the only one scratching my head on this one? It took me by surprise when I first heard it and I’ve been thinking about the strategic play that must be going on. What would a technology company want with a company that serves a world-wide network of business professionals? A network of business […]
I ran across an article in today’s WSJ, “Macy’s Reignites Retail Worries”, that sets the reader up for an implication that the poor performance of companies like Macy’s, Aeropostale, Sports Authority over the recent quarters may be a sign that the economy is slowing. I don’t see it that way. If you have been paying […]
To think that Musk is only in it to build a car business is short-sighted. Yes, it is amazing that Tesla has generated over 400,000 pre-orders for the Model 3, and I think even the expectations within Tesla have been greatly exceeded. There is obvious pent-up demand and this pre-order book gives Tesla a great […]
I read an article in the WSJ today about movies in virtual reality. Personally, I think this application of technology will go down the path of 3D movies. Interesting, but not the magic application of technology that causes billions of dollars of new commerce through increased ticket sales or 3D televisions flying off the shelves. […]
I talk a lot about revisiting your underlying business processes and mapping back to the value chain before undergoing any kind of technology systems change. I was working with a large, Fortune 50 client a few years ago who had been working with a homegrown, soon to be unsupported, legacy system to manage their business […]
Every company eventually gets to the point where they need to replace an aging software system. The old system is showing it’s age due to lack of vendor support, lack of functionality, angry users, etc. For whatever reason, it’s time to shed the old and go shopping. Before you even research your first vendor, you […]